Friday, October 12, 2012

What's in a Name

"Excuse me. Are you the Judean People's Front?"
"Fuck off! We're the People's Front of Judea!"
--Life of Brian

The potential sackers of any future US embassy in Syria* have made what they must see as a major concession to their Western benefactors:

Powerful Syrian Islamist brigades, frustrated at the growing divisions among rebels...formed the "Front to Liberate Syria"
(...)
Originally the group was called the Islamic Front to Liberate Syria. Brigade leaders voted to drop the word 'Islamic' but Islam remains a central element...

*Who's the poor sap in line for that job?
It's after the election: Obama has barely survived a bruising and emotionally draining campaign. He addresses a dishevelled man in the Oval Office; Valerie Jarret is sitting in shadows behind him.
"So, like I said, Bob, forget about it. Lots of mistakes were made in this campaign. I almost made one myself. No shit! I'll tell you about it some time. Anyhow, what's a swing state or two? That was a joke. But I'm going to need my best man out there in SIR [Syrian Islamic Republic], at least until things settle down a bit..."